Read Online The Desires of a Countess by Jenna Petersen - Free Book Online Page B

his curse, and he
noticed she wasn’t looking at his face, but staring at his chest.
He’d nearly forgotten he’d taken off his shirt. Now blood pumped
hot in his veins as she stared at his partly exposed
body.
    “ I beg y-your pardon?” she
asked, slowly tearing her eyes away from his body and up to his
face. “Did you just curse at me?”
    “ No, I’m sorry. Just
frustrated.”
    That was more than true. The
frustration was actually painful. And only one thing would make it
go away. Laying Ginny down on the nearest flat surface and making
love to her. Somehow he didn’t think that was an option.
    He wiped the sweat from his brow with
his forearm and grabbed for the shirt that hung over a chair back.
She drew in a short breath in response and with a wicked grin, he
pulled it over his shoulders, but left it unbuttoned. Let her look.
If he had to throb with need, why shouldn’t she?
    “ Do you require something?”
he asked.
    “ No, I hadn’t seen you for a
few days, and I wanted to make sure you were finding everything you
needed. I thought you’d be going over the books more.” She glanced
around the room with wide, disbelieving eyes. “I never thought
you’d repair the cottage. You’ve done so much.”
    He smiled at the awe in her voice.
“Well, I thought fixing this place up would help as much as
anything else. I’ll look at the books in greater detail, but for
now I’m content to finish with the cottage while the weather
holds.”
    She frowned and drew a small section
of her lip between her teeth. “But you must want to get back to
your ship very much. This cottage isn’t that important, I never use
it. I hate to keep you from your real duties here.”
    Now it was his turn to frown. “So
anxious to see me gone, are you?”
    Ginny’s dark eyes flew to his face and
she flushed. “I-”
    “ You want to get rid of me.”
Simon shrugged, though that fact was more important to him than he
cared to admit. “I don’t think you’ve ever made that a secret. You
don’t have to deny it now.”
    She drew in a breath, and he could see
the fight about the come before she even uttered a word. He set his
shoulders in preparation for the battle, but before she could start
in on him, Adam breezed through the door with a crooked smile on
his face.
    “ I got that boy Henderson to
gather up the wood that could be salvaged and-” He broke off when
he saw Ginny and scrambled to remove his dusty hat. “I beg your
pardon, my lady. I didn’t realize Simon had a visitor.”
    “ It’s no matter,” Simon said
with a shrug. He was just as happy not to argue with her at the
moment. He didn’t think he had the energy after so many sleepless
nights. “You haven’t met her ladyship, have you?” He nodded toward
her. “Virginia Blanchard meet Adam Scott. My first mate and thorn
in my side on more than one occasion.”
    To his surprise, the anger and
mistrust Ginny had shown him wasn’t evident as she held out her
hand with a friendly smile. It was the first real expression of
welcome or pleasure he’d seen on her face.
    “ Mr. Scott, Mr. Webber has
told me so much about you. I’m very pleased to make your
acquaintance.”
    Adam shook her hand with wary,
questioning glance toward Simon. “It’s very nice to meet you, as
well, my lady. Your home is quite beautiful.”
    “ Thank you.” She turned her
back on Simon and her attention fully on Adam. “Mr. Webber tells me
you’re a Pall Mall player.”
    Again, Adam’s eyes widened, and Simon
flinched. He’d all but forgotten that little lie. He’d only told it
to prove to Ginny that she didn’t really know him, and to get a
chance to challenge her in an arena where emotions wouldn’t be at
stake. He hoped if she saw him as a fair player on the field,
perhaps she might begin to see him as a fair man in
life.
    All of which he’d neglected to mention
to Adam, who thought games of any kind were best left to little old
women and fools.
    “ Well, my lady, I